Boot or shoe



Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,465

W. L. HILL BOOT OR SHOE Filed Oct. 1926 Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOOT OR SHOE.

Application filed October 7, 1926, Serial No. 140,109, and in Great Britain February 23, 1926.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to boots and shoes and has for its object to furnish means of a simple character for enabling the most effective grip compatible with comfort and ease to be obtained in a boot or shoe around the ankle of the wearer.

This close fit or grip around the ankle 18 particularly desirable in connection with sports footwear such as golf shoes or the like, but it is to be understood that the invention is in no way restricted to any particular class of boot or shoe.

A feature of the present invention consists in a boot or shoe provided with a strap or band which encircles the upper and is carried by parts or elements provided on said upper in such a manner as to be adjustably tightened around the up er and cause said upper to grip the ankle of a wearer to the desired de ree.

r knothler feature consists in interlacing the strap or band through parts of the boot or shoe upper and providing means whereby the tightening of t e strap or band and consequentl the binding of boot or shoe upper around the ankle is effected by the drawing up and fastening of the customary laces or the like.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents, in perspective, a shoe in accordance with the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are front views of the shoe illustrating the manner in which the invention ma be used.

In one met 0d of carrying out this invention same will be described as applied to a.

shoe. Around the shoe upper 1 in substan- The free ends of strap 3 are located at the front of the shoe, and said ends, which may be pointed or rounded, are conveniently provided with a plurality of spaced holes 4.

Through one of the holes 4 at each end' of strap 3 is threaded the customary mohair or other lace 5 employed for fastenlng the and not supported by any portions such as 2,

and in this way the tightening of the strap may be caused to draw the rear part of the upper tightly on to the heel.

It will be seen that the ends of the stra 3 that are toward the front are outside the s we upper. This has the advantage that the shoe ma be laced and secured, as by tying the en s of the lace 5, and thereafter the lace passed through the openings 4 in the ends of the strap and again united. By this arrangement it is possible to lace the shoe either loosely or tightly as may be found most comfortable and desirable, and then, the lace being secured by a single easily loosened knot, the strap may be drawn to the desired tightness and secured without changing the tightness of the lacing of the shoe. Thus, whilebut a single lace is employed, two quite independent adjustments of different parts of the boot or shoe are easily effected.

The invention can also be applied to boots, in which case the strap can be located around the upper at the position where the grip is required.

Claims:

1. In a boot or shoe, a strap or band oncircling the upper, elements formed from parts of said upper through which the strap is interlaced without passing through to the interior of the shoe, and a plurality of perforations at the strap ends for accommodating the usual shoe lace and enabling the degree of tightness of the strap and consequentl also of the upper about the ankle to be ad justed.

2. In a laced boot or shoe a strap encircling the upper, guides through which the strap is threaded, the ends of the strap being per oratcd to receive a lace and lying on the outside of the shoe upper adjacent to the opening that is closed by the lace, and a lace for the shoe or boot, the arrangement stated permitting the edges of the upper to be drawn toward each other by the lace to the desired degree of tightness'and then secured by knottin the lace and thereafter drawing the ends 0 the strap toward each other and securing them to the desired degree of tightness by another knotting of the lace.

WVILLIAM LADBROOK HILL. 

